Coffee v smoothies: Which is better for you?

traceyjj

One is made of fruit. The other is caffeinated. So a smoothie is a healthier option than a coffee, right? Don't be so sure, says Michael Mosley, as he weighs the evidence.

See the full article here ->
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24621394

STC1188

This does not compute. The two are not interchangeable in such a general context. You have to ask a more specific question.

And stop with the advertising.

lucan07

Coffee it has no calories and I like the caffeine if you do not drink decaff!

kennie2

i have both! well sometimes tea but that also has caffeine in it

lynn1982

i have both! well sometimes tea but that also has caffeine in it

Me too!!

This might be one of the most ridiculous articles I've read... it conflates smoothies and juices AND only looks at commercially made smoothies... slow news day, perhaps??

links_slayer

Coffee it has ALMOST no calories and I like the caffeine if you do not drink decaff!

FYP

WaterBunnie

Smoothies surely? Nutrient wise. Doubt you'd survive long on black coffee but you could feasibly survive on just fruit.

lucan07

Coffee it has ALMOST no calories and I like the caffeine if you do not drink decaff!

FYP

OK 2 calories per cup for what I drink!

carolina822

Which is better - the moon or a rake?

lucan07

Which is better - the moon or a rake?

The moon, you would never move that much water with a rake!

traceyjj

This does not compute. The two are not interchangeable in such a general context. You have to ask a more specific question.

And stop with the advertising.

What was advertising? The BBC websites are usually full of information. Did you read the link?

What I understood from that link is that juices/smoothies werent as healthy/good for you as I thought, at least not as healthy as eating real fruit... I thought smoothies were healthy and good for you, and coffee was the devil. I cut my coffee intake right back when I started to try to get healthy, and thought I was doing the right thing by drinking smoothies. Now I'm not so sure.

In a study published in August 2013 in the British Medical Journal (Fruit Consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes) they found that while eating fruit cuts your risk of developing diabetes, drinking it appears to increase the risk.

melaniecheeks

I think a more useful summary would be:

Is coffee as bad for you as many people think? - Not necessarily.

Are all smoothies as "healthy" as thier image suggests? - Not necessarily.

traceyjj

i have both! well sometimes tea but that also has caffeine in it

Me too!!

This might be one of the most ridiculous articles I've read... it conflates smoothies and juices AND only looks at commercially made smoothies... slow news day, perhaps??

If its a ridiculous article, can you please point me to some studies that give me decent information. I generally trust the bbc info as they usually (to me) seem to be impartial. I'm keen to learn, but still very much a newbie when it comes to good nutrition. Everything report to conflict with everything else..

mockchoc

I think a more useful summary would be:

Is coffee as bad for you as many people think? - Not necessarily.

Are all smoothies as "healthy" as thier image suggests? - Not necessarily.

^ this plus there is no such thing as good and bad food/drinks except for trans fats perhaps.

dsalveson

Apples and oranges...depending on what kind of smoothies you're taking about, they most likely aren't doing you any favors.

kitticus15

i have both! well sometimes tea but that also has caffeine in it

Me too!!

This might be one of the most ridiculous articles I've read... it conflates smoothies and juices AND only looks at commercially made smoothies... slow news day, perhaps??

If its a ridiculous article, can you please point me to some studies that give me decent information. I generally trust the bbc info as they usually (to me) seem to be impartial. I'm keen to learn, but still very much a newbie when it comes to good nutrition. Everything report to conflict with everything else..

it was a cohort study that lasted 14 years, this man is a Doctor, he has investigated many things including exercise and put himself through many experiments, so before criticising his article maybe the same amount of effort could have been used to look into his fact based documentaries produced for bbc horizon, just saying as I have watched a few and know this is the Doctor behind the 5:2 diet that was launched through horizon documentary

melaniecheeks

No-ones criticing the article - just the sensationalist headline summary of what it shows.

guessrs

For weight loss coffee has less cals .

kitticus15

No-ones criticing the article - just the sensationalist headline summary of what it shows.

I was speaking about the middle poster lynn1982 I think she was called, she called it a ridiculous article and a slow news day, when this Doctor has done some really good work and did state that it was a cohort study, sorry it came across that I was having a go, I did not intend it that way

lynn1982

i have both! well sometimes tea but that also has caffeine in it

Me too!!

This might be one of the most ridiculous articles I've read... it conflates smoothies and juices AND only looks at commercially made smoothies... slow news day, perhaps??

If its a ridiculous article, can you please point me to some studies that give me decent information. I generally trust the bbc info as they usually (to me) seem to be impartial. I'm keen to learn, but still very much a newbie when it comes to good nutrition. Everything report to conflict with everything else..

it was a cohort study that lasted 14 years, this man is a Doctor, he has investigated many things including exercise and put himself through many experiments, so before criticising his article maybe the same amount of effort could have been used to look into his fact based documentaries produced for bbc horizon, just saying as I have watched a few and know this is the Doctor behind the 5:2 diet that was launched through horizon documentary

He's comparing apples to oranges. I don't care how much alleged work he has done. I don't really care if he's a doctor or a mechanic. It's poor journalism. Maybe it's the author of the article's fault and not the alleged "doctor." (I don't know who this person is, nor do I really care.) The title compares coffee and smoothies, the article discusses smoothies that are commercially made, NOT homemade, and then discusses smoothies and juices as if they are the SAME THING. IT'S RIDICULOUS. (Yes, I said it again. Oh no!!)

ahamm002

What I understood from that link is that juices/smoothies werent as healthy/good for you as I thought, at least not as healthy as eating real fruit... I thought smoothies were healthy and good for you, and coffee was the devil. I cut my coffee intake right back when I started to try to get healthy, and thought I was doing the right thing by drinking smoothies. Now I'm not so sure.

Well I'm not sure where you got your initial misinformation, but there certainly is tons of it. No coffee is definitely not bad for you at all in moderation. In fact, it has been linked to health benefits and it can also curb snack cravings.

In regard to fruit juice and smoothies, in general it's a bad idea to drink your calories. Smoothies can be healthy in some contexts though, but fruit juice is just junk food. Regardless, if you want to lose weight you're better off choosing solid food instead of smoothies.

lynn1982

No-ones criticing the article - just the sensationalist headline summary of what it shows.

I was speaking about the middle poster lynn1982 I think she was called, she called it a ridiculous article and a slow news day, when this Doctor has done some really good work and did state that it was a cohort study, sorry it came across that I was having a go, I did not intend it that way

See my response to you. Didn't realize you were "having a go" at me. But two can play at this game...

lynn1982

i have both! well sometimes tea but that also has caffeine in it

Me too!!

This might be one of the most ridiculous articles I've read... it conflates smoothies and juices AND only looks at commercially made smoothies... slow news day, perhaps??

If its a ridiculous article, can you please point me to some studies that give me decent information. I generally trust the bbc info as they usually (to me) seem to be impartial. I'm keen to learn, but still very much a newbie when it comes to good nutrition. Everything report to conflict with everything else..

The information itself might be sound. Fruit juices are high in calories and smoothies CAN be high in sugar and calories (however, if they're homemade, you can control this and add in a lot more benefit). My comment about the ridiculousness of the article was based on the title and the way it is written. Why exactly is the comparison between coffee and smoothies? Smoothies offer nutritional value that coffee does not. Coffee is lower in calories, but does this make it BETTER? They're two different things. The author then discusses smoothies and juices as if they are the same thing. They're not... in general, for weight loss, it is better to eat your calories. However, I drink green juices to give me an added boost of energy in the afternoon (I only juice veggies, not fruit). I also will have a homemade smoothie from time to time, but I don't buy them pre-made. I prefer to control what is in them myself. So, just to clarify, what I meant was that the article is ridiculous because it's poorly written, the title doesn't mean anything, and conflating smoothies and juices does not make any sense. But the title is what set me off - it's like saying, what is better, "a pen or a bicycle?" (See! That doesn't make sense!!)

lynn1982

No-ones criticing the article - just the sensationalist headline summary of what it shows.

Exactly!! At least one person understood... (Wow...I can't believe I had to defend my response. It's like people can't read a simple article.)

JoRocka

I don't even want to read the article. It's a RIDICULOUS title.

I drink coffee because I like it- and I get headaches without and it wakes me up... and its' fracking delicious.

Smoothies are a food/protein delicious snack for me. They aren't even the same food groups.

It's rubbish.

I like coffee IN my smoothies too. NOM NOM NOM

Phoenix_Warrior

Coffee is good for my sooooul

AlabasterVerve

I thought it was good, balanced article but then I consider juices and smoothies to be treats already and don't think of them as "heath food" so that's probably why. Thanks for posting.

DavidHusky

I like coffee IN my smoothies too. NOM NOM NOM

I was just about to say this... instant coffee + protein powder + liquid + random food = tasty (cold press coffee would be better, but who has the time these days )

Fitnin6280

Which is better - the moon or a rake?

Um yea. I really think there is no correlation here...

BlueBombers

I will take a coffee over a smoothie any day.

jacklis

Coffee smoothie
FTW